Heavy rain causes flooding, headaches in Herkimer County

Tuesday

Jul 4, 2017 at 1:14 AMJul 4, 2017 at 1:14 AM

DONNA THOMPSON / donna@timestelegram.com

FRANKFORT, N.Y. – Heavy rain Saturday resulted in flooding and road closures in several area communities, but in the village of Frankfort, the rain compounded problems that had already come up at the village municipal building.

After a heavy rain Friday evening, village officials found that a roof drain on the municipal building had become plugged, according to Frankfort Mayor Richard Adams. "We had water coming down through the building, through all the ceilings." He said most of the damage was in the halls although there was some damage to an office in the rear of the building. Repairs will have to be made to the floors and ceilings.

The office was closed Monday and is closed today for the Fourth of July holiday. "It’s still undetermined whether we’ll be in there Wednesday or not," said Adams. He contacted ServiceMaster, which sent in crews to dry out the building and clean it up. Adams said he would be meeting with workers from the company today to determine whether the building can be reopened Wednesday.

Saturday’s rain brought additional problems. Railroad Street was closed for a short time due to flooding. Orchard Street was flooded. "From house to house there was solid water," said Adams of Orchard Street.

"The West Main Street Bridge crested over the top." The force of the water took down trees and the bridge, which crosses Moyer Creek, had to be shut down for an inspection before it could be reopened. The state Department of Transportation came Sunday to inspect the bridge and determined it could be reopened to traffic. Later this week, the village will have Barton and Loguidice engineers conduct a post-flood inspection. "They’re waiting for the water to drop further so they can check for scouring," said Adams.

Some sections of Main Street in the village’s business area were flooded, he said, but the water went down quickly once the rain stopped.

He added, "The ground is saturated. We don’t need more rain."

In the town of Frankfort, Route 171 remains closed in both directions between Litchfield Road and Furnace Road for debris clearing and culvert replacement. The road is expected to reopen within two weeks, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.

The town also had flooding near the onramp to Route 5S, resulting in that road being closed for a time on Saturday.

Town of Herkimer

Herkimer Town Supervisor Dominic Frank declared a state of emergency Sunday, continuing until further notice. Oberle Road remained closed on Monday and he is urging there be no unnecessary travel on Eatonville, Kucerak, Kast Hill, Caldwell, Osborne Hill, Reservoir and Smith Hill roads and Farber Lane. Those who must travel these roads are advised to exercise caution.

"All the shoulders are gone," he said. "It’s very difficult driving. We’re asking people to use caution and only travel when necessary."

He said the closing of Route 28 from Middleville down toward Herkimer and Route 5 coming into Herkimer also impacted the town.

"The highway crew has gotten cones and barrels up showing where there are danger areas. They’re working to make repairs." He added that the highway department had to be called in. "We’re supposed to be shut down this week, but we had to call everybody in to get the work done."

On Saturday a town crew was sent to help the village on Church Street, he said. "It’s been real busy." He pointed out that it has been four years to the day since the 2013 flood.

Ilion

Ilion Mayor Terry Leonard was out of town over the weekend, but was in touch with Village Administrator James Kramas and members of the village board about the heavy rainfall.

"Steele Creek did not come over its banks on Route 51, but was within inches," he said. "We dodged a major bullet." He said there was some flooding in the lower level near Columbia Parkway, but when he talked to Kramas Sunday, he was told there had been little damage in the village.

German Flatts

"I think we were spared," said German Flatts Town Supervisor Frank Spatto. "If we’d have got what Utica got, it would have been 2013 all over again – almost to the day – and don’t think I wasn’t thinking about it."

State and federal government officials have offered assistance to those affected by the weekend flooding.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo directed state agencies Monday to deploy additional personnel emergency resources to assist communities affected by the severe storms and flash flooding on July 1. He said in a news release Monday state officials continue to coordinate with localities to assess impact, provide state support and address any unmet needs.

"This weekend's storms resulted in flooding in communities across the state. Officials from numerous state agencies are on the ground with additional equipment, personnel and resources to assist communities that were hit hard by the storms," said Cuomo. "Make no mistake, we will do everything in our power to help impacted communities recover as quickly as possible."

The DEC is working in Cayuga, Fulton, Herkimer, Oneida, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Sullivan, and Westchester counties to provide on-the-ground assistance as needed to ensure the integrity of local wastewater treatment plants and dams, investigate and address any spills, provide necessary emergency permits, and inspect and close state facilities such as campgrounds.

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management regional staff has been in constant communication with local officials from Herkimer, Oneida, and Rensselaer counties.

The state Department of Transportation is clearing debris from roads, culverts and bridges across the state caused by flash flooding. While assessments continue, DOT has repaired and reopened 28 roads, including five bridges. DOT also provided generators, gas pumps, sandbags and concrete barriers to municipalities to assist with cleanup on local roads.

U. S. Rep. Claudia Tenney also announced assistance for residents. "My office is in contact with local elected officials as well as FEMA to ensure that any aid and assistance these communities need is provided as quickly as possible," she said in a Monday news release.

Tenney said she is driving throughout the region to assist in identifying the worst damage and sending photos and videos to first responders and others who can provide assistance to residents.

She said her office "will continue to work with area leaders to make sure that federal assistance is provided through the appropriate disaster declarations."

Individuals in need of emergency assistance should call 911 immediately. Anyone with questions or concerns related to federal disaster relief and recovery can call Tenney’s New Hartford office at (315) 732-0713.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to stand ready to quickly approve any request from New York State for a major disaster declaration. In a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long, Schumer requested that FEMA stand ready to approve any forthcoming requests from the state for a disaster declaration for counties that were impacted by the storm.

"This past weekend, residents across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley were ravaged by severe thunderstorms and flooding, and it is absolutely crucial that we get them the resources they need to recover," said Schumer. "I’m putting FEMA on notice now to be ready to support any requests for federal assistance so that communities have the resources they need to recover and rebuild."

A disaster declaration would make grant assistance available to state and local governments, as well as certain non-profit organizations, to reimburse costs incurred for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged facilities. This funding is available on a cost-sharing basis; FEMA generally covers 75 percent of the eligible costs for permanent and emergency work.

State Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-119 of Utica, expressed strong support for Schumer’s request to FEMA in a news release Monday.

"Over the past several days, I have heard from many people whose lives have been uprooted by this flooding, and I believe the federal government needs to be ready to support any request from the state for a major disaster declaration," he said in a news release.